Oil-press mat



(ModeL) G. O. BAKER.

OIL PRESS MAT.

Patented Oct. 18,1881.

INVENTOR fiQm cw- BY M ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE O. BAKER, OF SELMA, ALABAMA.

OIL-PRESS MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,386, dated October18, 1881.

Application filed August 16, 1881. (Model) To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, GEORGE O. BAKER, of Selma, in the county of Dalla s,inthe State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful lmprovement inOil-Press Mats, of which thefol lowing is a full, clear,and exactdescription.

The object of myinvention is to furnish oilpress mats of inexpensive,durable, and effective character, by which one or more cakes can bepressed at once in the one mat, and which shall allow free escape of theoil.

The invention consists in the combination, with the hinged leavesoraprons,of the mat of wire cloth or netting, as hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a face view,in an openposition,of an oil-pre.-s mat containing my improvements. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal section of the mat in a partiallyclosed position, and Fig.3 is a cross-section of the mat closed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A are the outer leaves of the mat, connected by the hinge-piece a, ofduck or other flexible material; and B is the middle leaf or apron,attached by a loop, I), to the hinge a, which loop serves also as ahandle by which the mat can be held. The hingepiece being flexible, andthe middle leaf or apron movable on the pieced, the leaves have perfectfreedom and independence of movement. The outer leaves, A,are formed ofwood or other inflexible material, faced on the inner surface with wirecloth or netting c, of suitable size of wire and mesh. Theedges of thewire-clothcshould a selvage, or they may be, as shown, covered by stripsd, of metal, turned up on the edges. The wire-cloth is attached by pinsor rivets or wire driven through the strips (1 and wood backing, or inany suitable manner whereby the clothing is held securely. At the sideedges of theleavesAare secured cordsorstrips e, of hair or othersuitable material which will allow free escape of oil.

The middle leaf or apron, B, is formed of wirecloth, similarto that withwhich the leaves A are faced, and bound in the same manner with metalstrips fat the edges. This forms a stifl' but elastic leaf, throughwhich the oil can freely pass or escape. There maybe additional middleleaves or aprons formed of wirecloth or other foraminous material usedwith the mat, so that two, three, or more cakes may be pressed at once.

In using this mat the meal or seed bags are placed between the leaves oraprons in the usual manner. As soon as pressure is applied thewire-cloth takes hold by its meshes on the bags,thus effectuallyholdingthebags in place and preventing them from moving in any direction. whileat the'same time insuring the even distribution of the seed or meal. Thewirecloth also allows free escape of the oil from the bags and out ofthe mats.

This mat can be readily and cheaply manufactured, and possesses greatstrength and elasticity. The wooden backs soften the blows of the pumpon the mats, and thus preserve them from the rapid Wear that occurs whenthey are made of hard and non-elastic material, such as metal.

I am aware that an oil-press mat constructed of three leaves hingedtogether is not new, and also that wire-cloth, in connection withfibrous material, has been usedin the construction of oil-press mats;and I therefore do not claim the use of wire-cloth, broadly; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let, ters Patent, is-

In an oil-press mat, the combination, with the outer wooden leaves, A,lined with wirecloth and connected by flexible joint a, of the middleleaf or leaves, B, of wire-cloth,secured to flexible joint a, wherebythe meal-bags are prevented from slipping and the expressed oil allowedto escape,substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE O. BAKER. Witnesses:

THos. J. WILLIAMS, F. F. PATTERSON.

